A Nice Italian Girl Like Her
by Nicolette134
Summary: When OC left for training, he left his girl back in Boston.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, OC, how's your girl?" asked Buzzy when OC walked in from another long "private" phone call.

"Waddaya mean, Buzz. Didn't you know? OC focuses on hockey, that's why he's never trying to score chicks. Plus, you know, he's got no chance, standing next to me, and all that." said Mac, cracking open a beer.

"You're pretty funny, you know that Mac? Funny looking!" said OC, tipping the other boys beer so that is splashed on his face.

"You pain in the ass," said Mac, gritting his teeth and for a moment the room went tense before they both began to laugh. Tensions were high sometimes, but all in all the boys were getting along much better these days.

"So, just to bring back attention to the subject Buzzy brought up- do you have a girl?" asked Bah.

"Why ya wanna know so bad?" asked Pav, "you lookin' for an in?"

"No, I just mean, you're not, gay, or something, are you?" continued Bah.

"Christ Harrington, I should knock you on your ass for that. But no, I'm not gay. I do have a girl, I just choose not keep it private, so I don't have to sit around talking about my feelings with you losers," said OC.

"Oh, jeez OC, I'm sorry. I didn't think she'd be _that _bad looking, you'd have to keep her a secret. You've seen some of the girls the Coneheads take home, no shame man," said Verchota.

"She's not ugly, lemme tell you," said Silky, earning a grin from the Minnesota boys, "Actually, let Rizzo tell you. Ain't your sister a looker Riz?"

"She's your sister, Rizzo? Jesus, OC, I know you like to live on the edge, but Rizzo's sister?"

"Yeah, he might be smaller than you, and you might get more time in the penalty box, but I'm pretty sure he could kill you if he wanted to."

"That's what they call that 'quiet intensity', and Rizzo, my man, you have not got it."

The Minnesota boys were laughing hysterically at this point, and it only got worse when OC confessed, "He almost did when he first found out about us. Caught her in my room when he came over to borrow a textbook or something, he turned into the Incredible Hulk for a minute there."

Rizzo gave the Minnesota boys a chance to regain their breath before he continued the explanation, "She's not technically my sister, she's my cousin. But we grew up living in the same house, and in the order of people living in that house, she came right after me- I was always in charge of looking out for her. Looking out for her did not including catching OC trying to get her out of her top."

"In my defense," said OC, "she's wasn't objecting."

"I'm gonna kill you OC! A nice Italian girl like her, messing around with a Mick like you- it's a disgrace!" said Rizzo, chasing the younger boy around the room as everybody laughed. Nobody moved to interfere, because, well, Rizzo knew how to control himself, and OC deserved whatever he got.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own anything but Gianna. Enjoy!**

"I think he learned that move in mobster training," said OC, icing his face with the bag of peas they kept in the freezer for moments like these.

"Well, ya deserved it, talking about Gianna like that," said Silk, "Plus, you knew it was coming, you were jibing him on purpose."

"So what if I was, he needs to loosen up every once in a while, he's too tense."

"Yeah, well, using you as a punching bag does have that 'loosening up' effect." said Silky, laughing and pouring himself a glass of water, "So, how is Gi, anyway?"

"She's great man, really great. She's still working at the bar nights, but she's taking a couple classes at the U- she's trying to ease her way into it, doesn't matter how long it takes, she just wants to degree so she can get a better job eventually. For now, it helps the family, you know?"

"Yeah, man, that's great. How are you doing though? With her being so far away and all."

"Well, don't tell Rizzo, but she's coming to visit," said OC, the smile on his face a mile wide.

"She's coming here?" asked Silk, incredulously.

"No, no, but she's gonna come watch the exhibit game against the Soviets. She's driving up to New York with Jimmy's old man, so don't tell him either, huh?"

"Really? Damn, OC, she's good. And Jimmy will like having his dad there. I think we're going to really show our stuff this game, February 9th, here we come!"

"That's the plan Silk, that's the plan."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, Rizzo, you up?" asked Johnson.

"Yup, what's up buddy?"

"I was just wondering if you were really okay with OC and your sister, or cousin, or whatever. Cause, to be honest, I don't know if I would be."

"Well, I mean, at first I definitely wasn't. I mean, catching your cousin in your teammates room when you didn't know they even _knew_ each other was- unpleasant, to say the least. I really flipped out on OC, and I nearly locked Gianna- that's her name- in her room for the rest of her high school career. I mean, he was only a freshman, sure, but she was only 16 at the time, a baby."

"Jeez, I'm surprised you didn't kill him," said Johnson.

"Yeah, well lucky for him Gi came to his defense. The little brat had the nerve to yell at me, like I'd never been yelled at before, 'cept my coaches and my ma. Come to think of it, she yelled at me like she was my ma, I felt like a little kid caught in the cookie jar.

"I mean, granted, all my family does _is_ yell. When you've got as many people shoved in one house as we do, things get a little loud. And I guess her brothers and I toughened her up quite a bit, because she does not take being scolded lightly. I threw her over my shoulder and she yelled and kicked the whole way out of the dorms- made a real scene.

"Finally she says to me, 'Michael Eruzione, what in the hell do you think you're doing? Carrying me around like a sack of potatoes? I am hardly the child that used to allow this sort of behavior from her cousin who she always looked to as an older brother figure. And as an older brother figure I always expected that when I found someone I liked, you'd be happy for me, because that's what you're supposed to do.' She had her hand on her hip and everything. Then she ended it with, 'And I'm telling your mother about this'. I couldn't help but laugh so hard I had to put her down and look at things from her perspective."

"She sounds like a firecracker," said Johnson, "Probably while OC likes her, only type of girl that could handle him would be one hardened by years of the Eruzione family, if you're anything to judge from."

"Yeah right," said Rizzo, "I'm the gentle one in the my family. You should meet the rest of them."

"I hope to God I never have to," said Johnson, pulling a face, before laughing and turning over in his bed, "Well, goodnight."

"Night Johnson," said Rizzo, turning out the lamp. And thinking of his family, who he had been missing a lot, Rizzo fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The days leading up to the exhibition game in New York were tough ones to endure. Their tour in Europe hadn't worked out like they had hoped- nobody would be forgetting those Herbies anytime soon- and the tension between Coach Brooks and the team was worse than ever, added to the fact that they were playing the _Soviet _team, any other group of boys would have laid down without a fight, but not these boys.

If you asked OC though, that stuff wasn't even the worse he had to deal- he was a horrible liar and Rizzo knew something was up; he had been wearing down the boy for weeks and if OC was still holding out on the truth it must be something big.

"Okay, for the love of the Lord, can you please tell me if Herb is planning to cut me or something? Is he just waiting until we get closer to Boston so he wont have to pair for a plane ticket, or is he picking up a boy from Maine or _what_?! I need to know," said Rizzo.

"Riz, jeez, you're on the team. Now leave OC alone, before he pops a blood vessel- he's secrets a good one, you're gonna like it."

"A good one, I'm gonna like it. What the hells that supposed to mean!?" Rizzo was a bit on edge and Bah called for him to join the Coneheads at the back of the bus to cool of for a little while.

"You're really messing with his head, OC. You should pull this shit more often," said Silk, sitting with the boy he had just rescued. Silk knew OC even better than Rizzo did, and knew when his teammate was going to blow a secret. He had been just in time to save the surprise.

"I can't, Silky, look at me, I'm sweating all over. Plus, if my mind games throw off Rizzo's game, Brooks'll have my neck."

"That's true. But look at it this way, she'll be there to meet us at hotel, he'll find out before the game, hopefully with enough time to process so that he wont mess up. You'll be fine!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Jacky!" yelled a voice as soon as we piled out of the buses and pored over onto the street.

_I know that voice_, I said to myself, just as I saw Gianna come flying out of the crowd and jump, open armed...into OC.

"You gotta be kidding me," I said to Silky, shaking my head in dispbelief, "Some surprise, I'm like a brother to her, and she runs to him. A nice Italian girl like her."

"From what I've heard, she's got plenty of relatives, but only one _Jacky!_" said Mac, mimicking her voice as she had called OC.

"His name ain't even Jacky," I said walking over to the two and fairly ripping them off of each other, "And, maybe, I dunno, you might wanna say hi to me?"

"Mikey!" she yelled again in that same high pitched, girlie voice, and I couldn't help but smile as she leaped into my arms too, albeit without making out with me. "Mikey, you got no idea how much I missed you, you stupid, stupid boy. I can't deal with all the kids in the house, I'm going crazy without you!"

She gave me a big kiss on both cheeks, and then, without even waiting for a response from me, she proceeded to hug the players she knew, Jimmy and Silk, and, in her excitement, even a few she didn't. Luckily, she caught herself before hugging Coach Patrick.

"What no hug for the coaches?" asked OC, giddy as a schoolboy, watching his girl run round the group and introduce herself. She didn't stop herself from hugging the Doc, and even kissed his cheeks, as she was accustomed to doing.

"Gi, Gi, calm down," said Jimmy, "You're making me dizzy."

"Oh my God, I forgot!" yelled Gianna, before grabbing Jimmy's hand in her mitten-covered one and dragging him through the crowd from which she had come- New York was a busy, busy place- and into the hotel lobby where he came face to face with his father for the first time in a long time. Gianna looked up at the nearly foot taller boy and squeezed his hand, "We drove up together, he didn't want me to make the trip alone. Did I do good Jimmy?"

"You did great, kid," came Jimmy's response, squeezing her close and kissing the top of her head before he moved on to his father. She headed back to the guys to give them some privacy and it was much appreciated by both father and son.


	6. Chapter 6

**Double update, 'cause I made ya wait (slant rhyme? poetic license?)**

Jim Craig had 3 brothers, 4 sisters, and was the 6th youngest of the 8. His father had left them all in North Easton to come to New York, with Rizzo's kid cousin no less, although she wasn't quite as young as she used to be, not that Riz'll ever admit it, just to see him play. He swelled with pride and gratitude towards the sweet girl, who had been great when his mother passed away- she was always coming around to check on him, every time she came to visit OC, or sometimes just to say hi.

"Hi Dad," he said, and he could have sworn he saw tears in his father's eyes.

"Hi son," he responded, hugging him.

* * *

"You brought Jimmy his dad?" said Rizzo, "Who's here for me?"

"I am silly," answered Gianna, punching her cousin playfully in the arm.

"Yeah, right," responded Rizzo, "You're only here for Jack and we all know it."

"Aww, is somebody jealous?" she asked, jumping onto him for a piggy-back ride, "You know I still like you best. Just don't tell Jacky."

"I don't know anybody named _'Jacky'_, I only know OC," replied Rizzo grumpily, but he didn't boot the girl from his back and she took that to be as good as if he had said something actually nice- that's just the way their family is.

"SO? Boys? Who's excited for the game!" she yelled.

"We sure as hell are," Jimmy's dad said, following his son back to the group, but the boys weren't as enthusiastic.

"Jeez, guys, it's like a funeral around here, what's the deal?" I asked.

"They're Soviets, kid, you know what that means?" asked Mac.

"Yeah, I'm not stupid or nothing," answered Gianna, "But you should show a little faith, maybe it'll go alright."

"Yeah, and maybe pigs'll fly," said Mike Ramsey, sounding not unkind, but definitely downtrodden.

"I think you'll do fine," said Gianna, enthusiastically, "plus, it's just another exhibition game, it ain't the Olympics yet!"

"That's the spirit," said Coach Patrick, sarcastically, joining the group along with Coach Brooks.

"No it isn't," scolded Brooks, the sarcasm was probably lost on him, "Enough of this screwing around guys, you got a very big, very important game tomorrow, that you better try your hardest during, and not be at all distracted by any girls that you stumble across, got that Rizzo?"

"Listen, Coach, if we had stumbled across this one, even I'd be smart enough to leave her be. This is OC's girl from back home, Gianna," said Silky, as Gianna jumped off of Rizzo's back to shake the Coach's hand- he had been absent during her first introduction to the team.

"She was my cousin first," muttered Rizzo under his breath, causing Johnson to turn to him.

Whispering, the younger boy said, "You should you okay with this Cap?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," answered Rizzo, "I just missed the kid, that's all. I ain't used to having to share her with nobody, when we're home she spent time with OC, sure, but she was always hanging around the rink with me, and such. She was my good luck charm, now she's hardly got time for me."

"Rizzo, buddy, I think you need a girl for yourself," Baker said, turning to join the conversation, "Stop worrying about her, Jack ain't that bad of a kid."


	7. Chapter 7

"Mikey?" said Gianna, walking into the hotel room, "It okay if I come in?"

"Wasn't that easy? That's all I wanted in high school, but no, you had to constantly barge in on me," joked the older boy, making room for her on the bed.

"So, you don't mind my staying here with you tonight, right? I mean, I could get my own room, if you preferred."

"You're not staying with OC?" came the somewhat sarcastic response.

"God no, you kidding me? You'd kill us both, after I died of embarrassment, and right before I go home to get killed some more."

"I'm just surprised you didn't at least try it."

"I wouldn't do that and he has too much respect for the both of us. Plus, I _wanted _to stay with you. It'll be just like old times, ya know?"

"Before all this Olympic stuff, ya mean?"

"Yeah, yeah. All of us stuffed into one house or another, cousins piled on top of each other."

"Haha, remember that year, you must have been 12 or something, it was a real long time ago, and you wanted to have a sleepover party? For your birthday?"

"Oh my _God_, don't remind me. _Everyone_ had a sleepover for their birthday, and there was no way anyone else could fit into your house, or was it mine? Anyway, I fought so hard for a sleepover."

"Instead I ended up taking you all to the ice rink, remember? It wasn't that bad of a birthday, was it?"

"Yeah, I still cry myself to sleep over it," she joked, before turning kinder, "Of course not. It was a great birthday. You were always doing stuff like that. Fixing things for me."

"Yeah, well, someone had to look out for you," he answered, "How is you dad doing, anyway."

"Ugh," she responded, "I do _not_ want to talk about him. God, I wish your dad was my dad. He practically raised me, if you think about it."

"Yeah," he answered slowly, "But you know your dad loves you. He's just got...problems."

"Listen, Mikey, I'm not a little kid anymore, I know the deal with him. And I just don't care anymore. Let him do what he wants, I've got all the family I need, right here," she said, coming out of the bathroom in her pajamas.

"Hey, that's mine," he said, pointing out the old Hockey jersey she was wearing.

"So what, it looks better on me anyway," she joked, "Plus, it reminds me of you."

"Aww, you do miss me!" he whispered happily, smiling for the first time all day, before he noticed the time. "Now get in bed, I gotta get up early tomorrow."

"Okay Mikey," she answered, before kneeling down to say a quick prayer and getting into the bed.

"You're a good girl, you know that?" he asked, smiling some more.

"Yeah, well, I was raised right."

And with that they both went to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The Soviet were beating us. Not only on the scoreboard, but they were giving us a physical beating too.

I wasn't happy, but I was okay. Until that big, stupid Russian hit Jack.

"Madonna Mia!" I screamed, grabbing Mr. Craig's hand and squeezing it.

"He'll be okay, honey," said the older man.

"He's not getting up, oh Dio, why isn't he getting up?"

"He's gonna be alright," assured a woman next to me, "Do you know him?"

"He's my boyfriend," I answered, barely breathing.

"Oh, well, honey, I'm sure you could go down to the locker room or something, to check on him, you know?"

"You think so?"

"Oh, sure honey. My son is Mike, Mike Ramsey."

"My brother is Mike Eruzione, actually."

"Oh a brother _and_ a boyfriend on the Olympic team, look at you!"

"Gianna, look, he's getting off the ice, go down now," said Mr. Craig, pointing to the ice.

I headed to wherever in Madison Square Garden they keep the injured players.

* * *

"Jacky? Baby?"

"Hey, Gi. They're really killin' us, huh?"

"Jesus Christ, Jack, are you okay? Does it hurt bad?"

"You know, Gianna, it really, kinda does. Like, I'm used to taking hits and stuff, but this was _bad_. Plus, I don't know how long I'll be out for- that just makes it hurt worse, you know?"

Gianna had never seen Jack cry, except for when he heard about Mrs. Craig; and pretty much _everyone_ cried that day, so she couldn't be certain, but she could have sworn there were tears in his eyes. That just made her cry worse- and she hadn't even noticed she had started to in the first place.

"Squeeze my hand as hard as it hurts," I said, grabbing his hand in my two much smaller ones.

He only squeezed it lightly, and when I looked at him for an explanation, all he said was, "I'm a tough guy; your delicate, girly sensibilities can't handle my pain."

"Squeeze harder," I said, "A nice Italian girl like me can handle it."

"Sometimes I wonder if Rizzo thinks that's your real name."

"It really might as well be."

"Well, a nice Italian girl like you might get into trouble hanging out here in the locker room with a half naked hockey player."

"You're hardly half naked. You're substantially covered up. Anyway, even nice Italian girls like me break the rules, every once in a while."

"Is that so?"

"Only for the boys we really, really like."

"Do you really, really like me?"

Smiling through my tears, I kissed him, just, to shut him up. I didn't need his jokes making me laugh while I was supposed to be concerned for him. We were just getting into the kiss when the doctors showed up and I nearly died of embarrassment.

"I'll see you later, okay baby?"

"Okay G," he said, turning serious at the appearance of the doctors. I walked out of the room and said a quick prayer for him before I returned to the stands. I said a quick prayer there too, because, man, were they good.


	9. Chapter 9

"So we lost and I'm injured. The Olympics are gonna go swell, huh?"

"We don't need your pessimistic attitude, O'Callahan," Rob said.

"Maybe we do," Coach broke in, "10-3? That's not how I taught you boys to play."

* * *

"He's gonna bench me. I just know it, he's gonna put me on the bench," Jimmy was muttering to himself and to his dad.

"He didn't did he? What did he say, show 'im the kid that wouldn't take the test? So show him!"

"Show him what?! What am I doing different now that I was doing better then?"

"I don't know, but you better get it back soon."

"I mean, he didn't bench me, but he always could, you know? And he's totally right, Janny's been waiting all this time to goalie."

"But he hasn't goalied once, has he? NO. Because Brooks wants you to goalie. So be the goalie he wants you to be."

"Yeah, I gotta work on that, don't I."

* * *

"After all this and I might not even get a chance to play!" said OC, frustrated. His pacing was going to strain his injury even worse, and I told him so. His grouchiness didn't scare me; I grew up with Mikey.

"You're going to hurt yourself," I said, trying to soothe him.

"Hate to break it to you G, but I'm already hurt, or haven't you noticed?"

"Listen, you don't need to take an attitude with her, alright. She's just trying to reason with you, and keep you from doing any more damage," Silk said, coming to her defense.

"Leave it Silky, he's in a mood," I said, walking away.

"I deserve to be in a mood! I can't play! In the Olympics! After all this effort, you know?!" yelled OC, growing angry.

"Okay, buddy. I won't beat your ass because your hurt and can't play and that sucks. But you don't need this shitty attitude, and you will not take that tone with my cousin. You get that?" Rizzo said, fighting to control his temper.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. I'll apologize G," OC said, calming down and realizing what a jerk he'd been.

* * *

"G," I said, knocking on the door to the room she and Rizzo were sharing. I had offered to pay for her to get her own, knowing there was no way she'd be able to stay with me, but she insisted she'd be more comfortable with Rizzo anyway.

"It's fine, you're hurting, I should've left you alone."

"Gianna, lemme in. I wanna apologize. I shouldn't have gotten so angry, you were right."

"What was that?"

"I was bring a jerk, you were right-" I started, but the door bust open and she hopped out of the room, wiping her eyes and standing on her tip toes for a kiss.

"I love when you tell me I'm right," she said, giggling like a schoolgirl. God, was she beautiful.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry I haven't been updating. Gianna is alllll mine.**

Between the exhibition game and the start of the Olympics, all I had been doing was rehab-ing for my knee. It was still pretty up in the air when I'd be able to get back into the game, and I was just dying for a chance to play. You don't work this hard and make your way to the Olympics and then not play. It's just not something he was going to let happen- not a chance.

Now the Olympics had started and I still wasn't back in. The first game hadn't been going too well- we were trailing Sweden 2-1 and Mac got hurt, then Brooks went nuts and Mac ended up playing after all, even though he was injured.

Then, by some stroke of pure hockey magic, Baker scored, tying up the game in the last minute. It was beautiful- the only thing that could have made it any better would have been if I had been able to _get on the damn ice._

Gianna is here, with Rizzo's parents and a couple other family members- everyone's been really great, they're all like family to me, and Rizzo's never been happier.

* * *

"G?" I asked, answering the phone in my room on the second ring.

"No. But you sound desperate when you answer like that, and so quickly too," said Bah on the other line.

"Shut up. What's going on?" I asked, a little embarrassed. I knew Gianna didn't think I was desperate or anything, but I didn't want the guys on the team to either. 'Cause I wasn't. I was just a little bored.

"We're going out. You coming?" he asked, and I hesitated for a second, before he added, "you can bring your girl."

"I'll be there," I answered, while he laughed and finished, "If Rizzo lets her."

* * *

"Rizzo?" I said, when the phone in his room was answered.

"Nope, this is Gianna, who's this?" she said, jokingly.

"You're a brat. Go get Rizzo," I said, smiling through the phone- I couldn't help it, as corny as it sounds she just made me so happy.

"Why don't you want to talk to me?" she whined, and I could practically see the pouty face she was definitely making.

"Because," I started, "I need to Rizzo."

"Rude," she said, calling Rizzo and handing him the phone.

"You rang?" asked Rizzo in his Lurch voice.

"Can Gianna come out to tonight?" I asked, very politely.

"You're asking me if Gianna can go out with you tonight?" Rizzo asked, confused. He'd been uncomfortable at first, but he was pretty much okay with them dating now, and usually I didn't ask, but this was extenuating circumstances.

"No," I started, "I'm asking if she can come out with the team _and _me tonight."

There was a pause and Rizzo exhaled slowly. He knew the type of mischief we were prone to getting int on our nights out, and the types of girls we usually met while we were out.

"I'm coming too," he said, and G didn't appreciate it- I could hear her from my side of the line- but I was happy.

"Put 'er back on Rizzo, you wonderful, wonderful man," I said, and he did.

"What the heck was that?" asked Gianna, confused and annoyed- probably with the both of us.

"We're going out tonight G. With the whole team," I said.

"Sei pazzo?" she exclaimed, and I was hoping it was directed at Rizzo, 'cause God knows I don't understand any of the Italian they speak.

"You'll be fine, that's why I'm coming," he answered.

"It'll be great babe. Listen, you get ready, I'm going to call Bah back."


End file.
